The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-03-12
CHI @aily 8nllstim.
SATURDAY. MAR. ~. 1887.
THE FRENCH AND GERMAN FORCES.

ludHy. l. TIC oiilCiShSC 10 SiS"sSoo' 81"
the navy, and there also it could not
be made up, should war occur at
any time before 1890; yet, though
it may seem contradiction, in the
navy this French numerical superb
GRITTY Is the least important. Gel
many has no colony worth attacking,
and her comparatively short coast
line at home, where accessible at
all, is well provided with defenses,
while France has long line to
guard. Above all, the tremen-
dous vigor with which war on land
would be waged between these
Powers would make it the decisive
element; just as in 1870, when the
French superiority was perhaps
even more marked than to-day, it
yet availed nothing. For this rea-
son it is not important to compare
the naval forces of the two coun-
tries.
The army peace establishment OF
France is the larger, but in popula-
ton and potential arms-bearing re-
sources Germany has the advantage.
France has the greater debt and
heavier taxes to sustain, but from
these taxes the Government receives
the ampler appropriations each
year for military and naval pur-
poses. The peace effective of the
French army, according to last
years budget, is 523, 2S3, comprising
81, lao officers and 492, 143 enlisted
men. Major Huberding of the Ger
man War Ministry, in reporting
recently in the special committee Of
the Reichstag on the Army bill, es-
timated the French peace force of
enlisted men at only All 900, posi-
bly, subtracting either the gendar-
merle, numbering 25,S25, or else
the military schools and bureau
troops, which, combined, amount to
ZOO. The peace footing of the
German Empire comprises Is, 143
officers and 427,274 men, making
an aggregate of 445, 417. Thus in
the peace effective the advantage is
clearly on the side of the French.
News of q late date, however, an
nounces that 6S,200 infantry and
1880 rihemen, making total of
$4,000 men, Of the German re-
serves, have been summoned Ito
drill during the present week, SO
that for the next fortnight the eff
fective force with the colors will be
about as great on the German side.
Turning to the war footing, the
first addition of France would be
what is called the territorial army,
which comprises an aggregate of
$4,000 officers and men. Other
additions might carry the total eff
fective under the first call up to
100000 men, including all arms
and staff service. The German mo-
Utilization for war footing, without
the Landstrum and special organi-
cations, but including garrison and
field reserves, would comprise 3d.
427 officers and l,456,677 men,
without about $4,000 more for the
medical and collateral forces. Thus
we see again how close the two mo.
bilizations would come in numerical
strength. When the landstrum is
called out ON the one side and its
equivalent on the other, the Germans
have an ultimate superiority in mum
bers, although the French nominally
counterpoise the advantage of popu'
lation by making larger ratio of theil
people liable to military service
Still, so far as numbers is concern
ed, the French would be much bet
ter off at the outset than in 1870
Were it possible for them, by Q
sudden dash, to invade Alsace ant
Lorraine, and neuteralize the advan
tage in population which their pos
session gives to the Germans, q new
face might be put upon the struggle
The German Notifications, military
skill, and watchfulness, however
and the probability that if there is I
war this year it will be due to Ger
many's taking the initiative, rende
this contingency unlikely to occur
The difference between the respec
tive organizations Of the two force
may be briefly indicated by saying
that France is n little the stronge
in infantry, about in proportion t
the general strength of her peace
organization. She is decidedly tn
stronger in artillery, and especial,
in the number CT her field guns
Major Huberding declared to tn
Reichstag that the French batterie
now contain 452 mounted piece
more than the German, the latte
having l,404 to the 1856 of France
On the other hand, the Germans ar
very much stronger than the Frencl
in cavalry, having fully sevent,
more squadrons and about one-thir'
more total cavalry forces. One o
the highest cavalry authorities il
France declares that the disparit,
in this respect at the outset woul,
be much greater, since large par
of the French mounted force is alb
sent in Africa, making the German
available force nearly double tina
of the French. In week or tel
days, however, the absent cavalr
could be recalled, and then the re
spective strength in this arm woul'